The Legal Environment encompasses both an examination of the laws and regulations that could influence
media content as well as the government's inclination to use these laws and legal institutions in order to restrict the media’s
ability to operate. Issues assessed include the positive impact of legal and constitutional guarantees for freedom of expression;
the potentially negative aspects of security legislation, the penal code and other criminal statutes; penalties for libel
and defamation; the existence of and ability to use Freedom of Information legislation; the independence of the judiciary
and of official media regulatory bodies; registration requirements for both media outlets and journalists; and the ability
of journalists’ groups to operate freely.

Under the category
of Political Environment, the survey evaluates the degree of political control over the content of news media. Issues
examined in this category include the editorial independence of both the state-owned and privately-owned media; access to
information and sources; official censorship and self-censorship; the vibrancy of the media; the ability of both foreign and
local reporters to cover the news freely and without harassment; and the intimidation of journalists by the state or
other actors, including arbitrary detention and imprisonment, violent assaults, and other threats.

Economic Environment:
This includes the structure of media ownership; transparency and concentration of ownership; the costs of establishing media
as well as of production and distribution; the selective withholding of advertising or subsidies by the state or other actors;
the impact of corruption and bribery on content; and the extent to which the economic situation in a country impacts the development
of the media.

Total Score and Status:
A country's total score is based on the total of the three categories: a score of 0-30 places the country in the "Free" press
group, 31-60 in "Partly Free," and 61-100 in the "Not Free" press
group.

Status Changes

Guinea, which had been upgraded to Partly Free
in 2010 following efforts by the transitional government to open the legal and political environment for the press, slipped
backward to the Not Free category, as the government of newly elected president Alpha Condé failed to implement those reforms.
Moreover, the state regulatory body imposed a brief media blackout after a July attempt to assassinate Condé, and several
media workers were detained, suspended, and threatened by the government and security forces during the year

Zambia was upgraded to Partly Free due to reform
of the public media initiated by the new government after the September 2011 elections, which led to greater professionalism
and independence, less self-censorship, and a decrease in the overtly partisan character of these outlets.